Retractors are often used to assist surgeons during procedures. During spinal procedures for example, retractors are used to maintain an operative corridor free of body tissue from the exterior of the patient to the spinal target site. Procedures performed on the anterior cervical spine, for example, discectomy, fusion, disc replacement, etc . . . are often performed with the aid of the retractor. These procedures are used to treat symptoms from cervical disc diseases or traumas such as cervical radiculopathy, disc herniations, fractures, and spinal instability.
In order to perform the anterior cervical discectomy, an incision is made through the neck and retractors are then used to gently separate and hold the neck muscles and soft tissues apart so that the surgeon can work on the front portion of the cervical spine. While there are a number of cervical retractors available for use, there remains room for improvement of cervical retractor offerings. For example, cervical retractors often use retractor blades that are fixed in a single position. These retractor blades are unable to adjust or move with the tissue as the tissue is retracted and pressure points can arise potentially causing unnecessary morbidity to the surrounding tissue. Other retractors used blades that are free to rotate relative to the retractor body. However, because these blades can rotate freely correctly aligning them during retractor deployment can also be a challenge. Additionally, retractors often have many parts that are free to move relative, which may be beneficial to achieve a desired retractor position, but which can lead to difficulty in handling the retractors outside of body.
The retractor, instruments, and methods described herein are aimed at addressing these and other challenges that currently exist.